1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal retainer-attached connector. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved terminal retainer-attached connector comprising a connector housing, having a plurality of terminal receiving chambers, and a terminal retainer attached to the connector housing to retain metal terminals received respectively in the terminal receiving chambers.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-43152, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7 shows a related, terminal retainer-attached connector. This terminal retainer-attached connector 1 comprises a connector housing 2, having a plurality of terminal receiving chambers 2a, and a terminal retainer 5 which is inserted into the terminal receiving chambers 2a from the rear side after metal terminals 3 are inserted respectively into the terminal receiving chambers 2a from the rear side (left side in FIG. 7) of the housing, and are retained there, so that this terminal retainer 5 prevents the withdrawal of the metal terminals 3 properly mounted in the respective terminal receiving chambers 2a.
Elastic retaining piece portions 2b, which can engage the inserted metal terminals 3, respectively, to prevent the withdrawal of these metal terminals, are formed within the connector housing 2.
The terminal retainer 5 include elastic support piece portions 5a, and retaining projections 5b. Each elastic support piece portion 5a is inserted into a space between an inner surface of the connector housing 2 and the elastic retaining piece portion 2b to prevent the displacement of this elastic retaining piece portion 2b in an engagement-canceling direction, thereby preventing the accidental withdrawal of the metal terminal 3. When the amount of insertion of the elastic support piece portions 5a reaches the proper amount, the retaining projections 5b are engaged respectively in retaining holes 2c, formed respectively in outer walls of the connector housing 2 at the rear end portion thereof, thereby holding the terminal retainer 5 in a completely-engaged condition relative to the connector housing 2.
When any of the metal terminals 3 is incompletely mounted in the terminal receiving chamber 2a, so that the elastic retaining piece portion 2b is not completely engaged with this metal terminal 3, the elastic support piece portion 5a of the terminal retainer 5 can not be properly inserted, and therefore this incompletely-mounted condition of the metal terminal 3 can be detected.
In the above terminal retainer-attached connector 1, when exchanging the metal terminal 3 or adding fresh metal terminal 3, it is necessary to cancel the complete engagement of the terminal retainer 5 with the connector housing 2 so as to cancel the restraint of the elastic retaining piece portions 2b by the terminal retainer 5.
For canceling the retaining by the terminal retainer 5, a removal jig 6, shown in FIG. 7, is used. This removal jig 6 has a pointed distal end portion 6a which can be inserted into a jig retaining portion 5c (which is in the form of a recess) formed in each of upper and lower sides of a rear end portion of the terminal retainer 5, the jig retaining portions 5c being covered with the outer walls of the connector housing 2 in the completely-engaged condition of the terminal retainer 5.
For canceling the completely-engaged condition of the terminal retainer 5 so as to cancel the restraint of the elastic retaining piece portions 2b, the distal end portion 6a of the removal jig 6 is inserted into a gap between the rear end of the outer wall of the connector housing 2 and the terminal retainer 5 as indicated by arrow (A) in FIG. 7, and then the rear end portion of the terminal retainer 5 is elastically deformed so as to disengage each retaining projection 5b from the retaining hole 2c, and at the same time the distal end portion 6a is advanced to be engaged in the jig retaining portion 5c. Then, the removal jig 6 is turned upwardly in a prying manner to bring the retaining projections 5b out from the rear end of the connector housing 2, as shown in FIG. 8.
However, when inserting the distal end portion 6a of the removal jig 6 and when turning the removal jig upwardly in a prying manner as described above, an undue force acts on the connector housing 2 and the terminal retainer 5, so that the connector housing 2 and the terminal retainer can be deformed.
And besides, the operation of the removal jig 6 for canceling the retained condition of the terminal retainer 5 includes two operations, that is, the insertion of the distal end portion 6a and the turning movement of the removal jig, and skill is required for the smooth operation, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the operation for removing the metal terminals 3 can not be carried out easily.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the above problems, and more specifically to provide a terminal retainer-attached connector having a good retaining structure in which a retained condition of a terminal retainer can be easily canceled when removing metal terminals, and a connector housing and the terminal retainer will not be deformed.
To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector which comprises a connector housing including a terminal receiving chamber into which a metal terminal is insertable, a completely-engaging portion, and a jig insertion port through which a removal jig is insertable in the connector housing, a terminal retainer attachable to the connector housing to retain the metal terminal in the terminal receiving chamber, and an elastic retaining piece portion formed on the terminal retainer to extend in an attaching direction thereof, the elastic retaining piece portion having a completely-retaining portion at a distal end thereof and an engagement-canceling tapering portion on a distal end surface thereof, wherein the completely-retaining portion is engageable with the completely-engaging portion of the connector housing to retain the terminal retainer in a completely-engaging position relative to the connector housing, and when the engagement-canceling tapering portion is pressed by the removal jig inserted in the connector housing through the jig insertion port so as to be disposed substantially in alignment with the engagement-canceling tapering portion, the elastic retaining piece portion is retracted while elastically deformed in a direction causing the completely-retaining portion to be disengaged from the completely-engaging portion.
In the above construction, for canceling the completely-engaged condition of the terminal retainer so as to remove the metal terminal, the removal jig is inserted through the jig insertion port, formed in the connector housing, in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion of the terminal retainer, and the engagement-canceling tapering portion, formed at the distal end surface of the elastic retaining piece portion is pressed by a distal end of this removal jig.
When the engagement-canceling tapering portion of the elastic retaining piece portion is thus pressed by the distal end of the removal jig, the elastic retaining piece portion is retracted while elastically deformed in the direction to cause the completely-retaining portion to be disengaged from the completely-engaging portion of the connector housing, so that the completely-engaged condition of the terminal retainer relative to the connector housing is canceled.
Therefore, with only one operation, that is, merely by inserting the removal jig through the jig insertion port in the direction opposite to the direction of insertion of the terminal retainer, the terminal retainer can be easily moved from the completely-engaging position to the engagement-canceling position.
The completely-engaged condition of the terminal retainer can be canceled through the elastic deformation of the elastic retaining piece portion, and therefore an undue force will not act on the connector housing and the terminal retainer, so that the connector housing and the terminal retainer will not be deformed.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the connector further comprises a restraint projection formed substantially parallel to the elastic retaining piece portion, wherein the elastic retaining piece portion cooperates with the restraint projection to hold the completely-engaging portion therebetween.
In this case, in the completely-engaged condition of the terminal retainer, the restraint projection and the elastic retaining piece portion cooperate with each other to hold the completely-engaging portion of the connector housing therebetween, and therefore the elastic retaining piece portion will not shake in the elastically deforming direction.
Therefore, the engagement of the completely-retaining portion with the completely-engaging portion will not be accidentally canceled by external vibrations or impact, so that the stable retaining force is obtained.
And besides, when the engagement-canceling tapering portion, formed at the distal end surface of the elastic retaining piece portion, is to be pressed by the distal end of the removal jig, the removal jig can be positively brought into an engaging position relative to the distal end surface of the elastic retaining piece portion, and the elastic retaining piece portion can be positively elastically deformed in the engagement-canceling direction by the pressing force applied by the inserted removal jig.
In the meantime, the terminal retainer may include a terminal holding piece portion, which engages the metal terminal to prevent displacement of the metal terminal and is prevented by an inner wall of the connector housing from being elastically deformed in an engagement-canceling direction when the terminal retainer is inserted into the completely-engaging position within the connector housing.